WORRISOME REPORTS THAT MR KOKO MISLED PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY

The ANC Study Group on Public Enterprises is concerned by reports that former Acting Chief Executive Officer and Head of Generation, Mr Matshela Koko, misled the Parliamentary Inquiry of the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises into Eskom.

The latest accusation comes from the Director-General (DG) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Mr. Lionel October, who in a letter addressed to Eskom Inquiry Chair Comrade Zukiswa Rantho, argues that Mr Koko’s proclamation that his decision to procure coal from Brakfontein/Tegeta was based on test results of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is “factually incorrect, misleading and lacking in rationality.”

We cannot accuse Mr Koko of any wrong-doing as we do not, as yet, possess any evidence of such wrong-doing. However, we encourage Mr. October to draft a sworn affidavit detailing how Mr Koko’s testimony before the Inquiry was “factually incorrect, misleading and lacking in rationally.”

We must however stress that the DG of the DTI is not the first to complain about Mr Koko’s testimony. Others who have poked holes in Mr Koko’s testimony is Exxaro’s CEO Mxolisi Mgojo, (Exxaro is the largest supplier of coal to Eskom) who told the committee that he had never known of Eskom’s “pre-payment agreements” and that the first time he heard of it was in Mr Koko’s Carte Blanche interview.

In light of this, the Study Group is of the view that Mr Koko ought to be given the opportunity to appear before the inquiry again to provide clarity and to end speculation about the decision taken to procure coal from Tegeta owned Brakfontein mine.

The Study Group also welcomes the report of the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, titled: “Report on an investigation into allegations of a violation of the Executive Ethics Code by the Minister of Public Enterprises, Ms Lynne Brown MP.”

The report found that Minister Brown, “in her written reply to the committee, inadvertently misled Parliament in her assertion that there were no other contracts of engagement concluded between Eskom and Trillian Capital Partners.”

In light of this, we trust that President Cyril Ramaphosa will implement the remedial action recommended by the Public Protector which directs “that the President take appropriate action against Minister Brown for violating the Executive Ethics Code and the Constitution.”

Statement issued by the Whip of the ANC Study Group on Public Enterprises, Comrade Zukiswa Rantho, 23 February 2018